G-Banded Karyotype and Ideogram for the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

• Main Authors: Kimberly C. Pause, Robert K. Bonde, Peter M. Mcguire, Robert T. Zori, Brian, A. Gray
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: ª The American Genetic Association. 2006. All rights reserved; baleen whales; Eubalaena glacialis; North Atlantic; North Atlantic right whale
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.562.3994; http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2006/04/05/jhered.esj033.full.pdf

Published cytogenetic data for extant cetacean species remain incomplete. In a review of the literature, we found karyotypic information for 6 of the 13 tentatively recognized species of the suborder Mysticeti (baleen whales). Among those yet to be described is the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Herein, we describe and propose a first-generation G-banded karyotype and ideogram for this species (2n 5 42), obtained from peripheral blood chromo-some preparations from a stranded male calf. This informa-tion may prove useful for future genetic mapping projects and for interspecific and intraspecific genomic comparisons by techniques such as zoo-FISH. Figure 1. (a and b) Representative GTG-banded karyotypes for the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Metacentric (m), submetacentric (sm), subtelocentric (st), and the sex chromosomes (sex) are depicted in groups as described.